Are You Asleep
by ClosetFMAfan
Summary: He hated it. It was painful. It was torturous. It was agonizing. He wasn't sure sometimes if he'd be able to handle it and if maybe… just maybe everyone who told them they couldn't make a long distance relationship work... was right.


**IM ACTUALLY POSTING SOMETHING. ITS A MIRACLE I KNOW. If you're looking for an apology/explanation of my ridiculous absence, I'll have to direct you to my tumblr. Link on my profile**

 **On the bright side new computer! Still getting used to it. Windows 10. Weird.**

* * *

 **Mei**

Al

* * *

 **11:37 PM: Are you asleep?**

11:37 PM: No.

 **11:37 PM: Bad dream?**

11:38 PM: missing you :(

 **11:49 PM: I miss you too**

 **11:50 PM: I have get ready for work**

11:50 PM: I love you

11:50 PM: I thought it was 4 there for you?

11:52 PM: I love you too

11:53 PM: Good luck

* * *

Alphonse Elric stared at the phone screen until it turned dark.

He waited maybe two full minutes before dropping it on the bed beside his pillow. He had told himself that he was going to go to bed by at least 10:00 that night. There were lots of things to do tomorrow and he wanted a good head start on them. He had even gotten ready for bed on time, teeth brushed and dressed in his cat-adorned pajamas by 9:55. Then he had laid down in bed and stared at, in turn, the walls and ceiling and then returned to the walls. The next step was to reach for his phone from the bedside table and begin to scroll through all of the pictures on his phone. Then, just as he was about to turn off his phone for good and resume staring at the walls, the phone had buzzed.

He hadn't been able to control the leap in his heart when he saw that it was a text message, even if he tried to quickly smother it.

Then of course it had been from exactly the person he hoped it was. Which was both a blessing… and more painful than he thought it could be.

Al turned so that his back was to the phone, picking up his second pillow and wrapping his arms around it.

He wished that he was able to just shut off his mind for a few hours so that he could sleep. Or better yet, turn off his feelings. That would make everything so much better. Or at least less painful. Maybe if he didn't feel like there was a weight on his chest he might be able to actually work.

It didn't feel like a hole, persay. In the romance novels, missing your significant other was always described as a hole in your chest. Al could understand why they would describe it like that, but to him it felt more like there was something heavy pressing on him. Something that made breathing a little harder.

Something that made living a little harder.

* * *

1:07 PM: I'm going to make some homemade bread for my dinner tonight!

3:58 PM: … this was easier said then done

5:21 PM: the yeast didn't rise right :(

5:23 PM: it looks more like a lump of dough than a loaf of bread

5:31 PM: … but it still tastes good with butter!

* * *

8:41 AM: Goodmorning!

9:34 AM: It's starting to get cold here! I love the cold :D Excuse to wear sweaters!

7:19 PM: Did you know there's a TV show about families that remake and sell houses together? 'Flipping Family'. It's actually kind of addicting XP

* * *

Mei being in Xing would be better if he at least had something to do.

As it was, he spent far too many hours just staring at his phone, vainly checking for a text at every hint of vibration. Supposedly he was job hunting, but there were only so many leads you could track down in a certain amount of time. He really found himself going for long walks (with his ringtone turned up as loud as it would go) and wandering around in libraries (still with his ringtone on - the phone call from Ed had been particularly disruptive considering Ed had chosen his own ringtone). He had tried out a few new restaurants. He had called Winry a few times and ended up cleaning his apartment until it was cleaner than it had probably been before he began renting it.

* * *

 **2:34 PM: Hey! How are you?**

2:35 PM: Hey! She's alive!

 **2:38 PM: Sorry I haven't been texting :(**

2:51 PM: No it's fine. I was just getting worried because if someone had hurt you I'd have to go hunt them down and we don't want that.

 **3:13 PM: lol. We wouldn't want anyone to get hurt here now would we?**

3:15 PM: ahaha, nope.

3:18 PM: How are you?

* * *

8:32 AM: Good morning :)

9:52 AM: Wish me good luck with my interview! Fingers crossed!

10:40 AM: I think it went pretty well. They seemed to like me and I was able to answer all of their questions.

10:41 AM: They seemed really friendly too. I hope I get this one.

11:21 AM: I just saw a cat that looks just like a panda bear! She was asking for scraps, and I tried to convince her to come into my apartment but apparently not even my chicken was worth that.

 **3:08 PM: That's great Al! I hope you get it!**

3:09 PM: I hope I get it too! Hahaha. How was work today?

6:13 PM: I don't want to bother you if you're trying to get ready for bed, but the cat came back! And this time I managed to get her to come inside the apartment! She ran as soon as I twitched, but she drank some of the milk before she went

* * *

5:43 PM: I just discovered this new place down the street from my apartment that sells some really fresh ingredients. I think I'm going to be shopping here a lot more. And I also think I'm making personal pizza for dinner. Yum :D

6:35 PM: The cat's back! I'm going to name her Xiao Mei ;)

7:02 PM: Goodnight! Sleep tight!

* * *

11:09 AM: "Finding a needle in a haystack is as easy as lighting the haystack on fire" Don't you think Ling would love that quote?

11:16 AM: I just shared it with Roy and he laughed SO HARD.

2:13 PM: I would also just like to say that I totally called how that book would end!

* * *

He knew that she was busy. And he wouldn't have it any other way! She was having an awesome time.

Or at least he thought she was. She wasn't talking to him so he didn't know for sure.

But he thought she was having an awesome time. He hoped she was. After all, if she wasn't then they were both suffering for no reason. No, he wanted her to be busy and he wanted her to be happy and enjoying herself.

He just wished that she would also make a little more time for him. And he knew that that was a selfish, and he would never tell her that because it was her life and she was busy and enjoying herself and he didn't want to make her feel like she had to indulge him. That was not at all what he wanted to do. He wanted her to talk to him because she wanted to talk to him, not because he guilted her into it.

But… talking would be nice.

* * *

11:29 AM: Didn't get the job :(

* * *

8:23 AM: Woke up to snow!

8:24 AM: Remember when we spent the whole day trying to shove snow down each other's coats?

8:24 AM: That was fun, but I liked snuggling with hot chocolate better ;)

9:28 AM: 1 attachment

9:28 AM: It's you and Xiao Mei!

9:28 AM: The pics a bit blurry… sorry.

9:35 AM: And yes I did both of them in an hour. I'm that good.

9:36 AM: Now I'm going to go and try to thaw my fingers

2:51 PM: The snow stopped :(

6:13 PM: You're probably trying to go to bed about now, but I just wanted to tell you that the Xiao Mei cat is curled up at the foot of my bed. In my apartment. :D I guess she got tired of the snow

* * *

5:18 PM: Some other couple was eating at our table when I went to pick up some dinner. I wasn't sure whether to glare at them or be jealous of them, hahaha.

6:03 PM: Goodnight!

* * *

8:37 AM: Hey!

8:37 AM: How's lunch going?"

 **8:39 AM: Alright. Rice and dumplings. DId you know Ling could cook?**

8:40 AM: Ling can cook?! I did know that! I thought he only ate!

8:41 AM: How are you? How are things going?

9:12 AM: I swear the CIA Mei cat is following me

9:12 AM: *Xiao Mei cat

9:12 AM: Though that would be super funny if Xiao Mei was a part of the CIA. I can almost see it XD

* * *

Sometime he thought it would almost be better if she never responded. At least when he had an expectation that she wouldn't respond he was free to simply send whatever messages to her that he thought she would like and leave his phone in odd places. When she sent him a single response, it had him clutching the cellular device waiting for even the hint of another message. Most of the time these days it was only the single comment, but he still couldn't help himself from waiting for even the hint of another sign of life from her. It'd probably be better for him in general if she didn't respond.

But he would take any word he could get from her. Even if it was only one word. At least it was something.

* * *

9:43 AM: I think I found a job opening at the hospital on Main St! Sent in a resume! Also have an interview later today!

12:58 PM: You know, I never really understood why people don't really respond when you smile at them.

12:58 PM: I was taking a walk and was feeling pretty good, so I was smiling and saying hi to people.

12:59 PM: Not a lot of them said hi back. it was a bit sad.

 **2:19 PM: No one ever bothers saying hi back to you in Xing. I think they'd more just wonder what was wrong with you if you tried, here.**

 **2:23 PM: How are you Al? I'm sorry I haven't been responding!**

 **2:23 PM: I've just been crazy busy**

6:47 PM: I turned my phone off for my interview and only just remembered to turn it back on!

6:47 PM: Are you still there?

6:47 PM: I'm sorry I wasn't here!

6:51 PM: I missed you, didn't I?

6:52 PM: L(

6:52 PM: :(

* * *

8:30 AM: You were in my dream last night

8:30 AM: You were killed by aliens

8:31 AM: And because we were talking at the same time that they killed you, my phone has the only evidence that we have against the aliens

8:31 AM: So Roy Mustang and this other nameless unattractive guy were escorting me to a safe location so they could use the information to help get rid of the aliens

8:32 AM: Only we had to stop at a hotel

8:32 AM: And the aliens were able to get into our minds and trick us

8:32 AM: So Roy thought Riza was there(apparently the aliens had killed her too), I thought you were still there and alive, and the unaattractive dude thought there was a chick hitting on him

8:32 AM: And he was the one who realized what was happening right as the aliens lit the building on fire

8:32 AM: So we were able to escape

8:33 AM: Roy was disappointed though, because he wasn Riza were discussing the plot of the book he had been reading

8:34 AM: I'm just glad you weren't actually killed by aliens

* * *

10:52 AM: I got some laundry done! That means that no matter what else I can say I did something productive today!

* * *

9:21 AM: I just went for a 5 mile run…

9:21 AM: Kill me now.

9:23 AM: I used to be able to run that no problem. But that was killer!

1:58 PM: Ow. It's starting to get sore now. Stretching. Lots of stretching.

10:42 PM: … tomorrow is going to be painful.

10:40 PM: :(

* * *

11:41 AM: I got an interview with the hospital if you care to know

 **3:20 PM: I care! That's awesome Al!**

 **3:21 PM: I'm sorry I haven't been around, alright? I suck, I know. You have every right to be upset with me**

3:23 PM: That wasn't meant in an accusing way! It was meant in an 'if you were curious' way

 **3:24 PM: Good to know. I love you, bye**

* * *

7:47 AM: Trying to catch you before you go to lunch

7:48 AM: Like I'm literally trying to catch you

7:48 AM: When you open this text a net will explode out of the phone and trap you

7:48 AM: mwuahahaha

7:48 AM: I'm only slightly evil ;)

 **8:17 AM: Oh no! I'm stuck in a net!**

8:17 AM: SUCCESS!

8:17 AM: ahahaha

 **8:19 AM: How have you been Al? I'm sor sorry I haven't been around.**

8:20 AM: Alright. Pretty bored. I've mostly been job hunting and reading.

 **8:23 AM: Anything good?**

8:24 AM: I've read some novels tht I think you'd like. Guy sweeps girl off her feet and they get married. Very romantic. Your kind of stuff.

 **8:26 AM: Haha, those sound awesome! You'll have to send me the titles so i can look them up :)**

8:28 AM: Will do. How have you been?

 **8:36 AM: I've been pretty good. Super busy, but it's been pretty good. I miss you. And I miss talking :(**

8:40 AM: Yeah… I've been missing you too.

 **8:44 AM: Lunch is almost over. I love you**

8:46 AM: I love you too

12:39 PM: Are you almost out of work?

* * *

 _1:21 PM: [Phone Call From Mei Chang ;)]_

* * *

"Mei? Is everything alright?"

"You're not in the middle of something, are you? I don't want to interrupt-"

"No, no," he said quickly, pushing aside the book he was reading. "What is it? What's up?"

"Nothing's wrong… I just… missed your voice." Al's face softened as he stared at the phone.

"I missed your voice too… Oh, it looks like Xiao Mei wants to say hi. She's whining at me at least."

Mei laughed and Al's heart seemed to squeeze. He loved that sounds more than almost anything in the whole world, even if it was full of static from the phone.

"I'm excited to get to meet her."

"I think you'll love her. She loves cuddling-"

* * *

He hated it. It was painful. It was torturous. It was agonizing. He wasn't sure sometimes if he'd be able to handle it and if everyone who told them they couldn't make a long distance relationship work was right.

But he loved her enough that even the one phone call - it ended up lasting four hours and reminding him exactly why they had bothered in the first place - assured him that he would never give her up for a second, all the pain included.


End file.
